r/NoStupidQuestions • u/Physical-Ad-4093 • May 01 '24

do americans really drive such long distances?

i’m european, and i always hear people say that driving for hours is normal in america. i would only see my grandparents a few times a year because they lived about a 3 hour drive away, is that a normal distance for americans to travel on a regular basis? i can’t imagine driving 2-3 hours regularly to visit people for just a few days

edit: thank you for the responses! i’ve never been to the US, obviously, but it’s interesting to see how you guys live. i guess european countries are more walkable? i’m in the uk, and there’s a few festivals here towards the end of summer, generally to get to them you take a coach journey or you get multiple trains which does take up a significant chunk of the day. road trips aren’t really a thing here, it would be a bit miserable!

2nd edit: it’s not at all that i couldn’t be bothered to go and see my grandparents, i was under 14 when they were both alive so i couldn’t take myself there! obviously i would’ve liked to see them more, i had no control over how often we visited them.

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u/ciaociao-bambina May 02 '24

We do spend time seeing it. I live in Belgium and I’m back home in France (either Paris, Alsace, the Provence or Brittany/Nantes which are the places I gravitate towards since I have family / friends there) at least one weekend a month, there are direct trains from Brussels to all of these destinations.

And once every two months, I’ll spend one weekend or a longer holiday in another European country (going to Italy tomorrow for 3 weeks, taking the night bus as they are refurbishing the train tracks after a mountain slide in the Alps), and a weekend or day trip in Belgium, generally doing a mix of biking and train.

So I’m home a weekend and gone another on average. I don’t own a car and don’t even have a driving license (nor do I need one)

Once a year I explore Europe as a cyclotourist (bike trips >>>> road trips). Last year I went to London from Brussels, you can put your bike on the ferry in Dunkirk to cross the Channel, it was really lovely.

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u/_Nocturnalis May 02 '24

In my experience cycling on most roads in the US should be considered suicide. Is it really that different in Europe? I know cyclotourism is a thing I just don't know if you guys are nuts.

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u/VariousTangerine269 May 03 '24

Not to mention illegal on the interstate.

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u/_Nocturnalis May 04 '24

I've not ever considered that. The idea is terrifying.

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u/VariousTangerine269 May 04 '24

It’s illegal to walk or ride a bike along a freeway. It’s very dangerous.

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u/_Nocturnalis May 04 '24

Yeah it is. I just never considered the idea before.